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Originally Posted by WalnutHill  Yes, I can see it being a "red flag" but I don' think you should discount a breeder immediately because of the USDA label - still go check them out, etc.
That's the only reason we'll be letting our USDA license expire, because it's got a negative connotation.
And, just as a side note, the USDA does a great job, there are just toooo many kennels and not enough inspectors. Add to that the red tape that goes in to complaints, and it takes years to remove the license from a bad breeder. The requirements for a USDA license are very minimal (we never even do anything to prepare for an inspection), but the inspector has to document all problems, document that they told the breeder ot fix the problems, come back and document that the changes weren't made, write another complaint, impose fines, come back and tell them to change it again, and then etc etc before anything can really be done. That's the US government for ya! |
I agree, I don't think you should dismiss the breeder either for this reason, and I love the fact that you agree on checking them out. The information you give on USDA is interesting, and it does sound like they are overworked to do all the necessary inspections. So many small breeders seem to think that the USDA is doing an adequate job regulating commercial dog kennels, and this doesn't seem to be the case.